This invention relates to cassette decks, and more particularly to a head drive mechanism for a cassette deck.
A cassette deck having an automatic playback function and an automatic tape stretching function (ATS) is designed so that when a cassette is loaded therein only the winding reel is turned to stretch the tape tight. It is detected from the stoppage of the winding reel that the tape has been stretched tight, and the head may be advanced to perform the playback operation.
In order to carry out the above-described operation, a head drive mechanism is sometimes provided which has a movable member which, when the rotation of the reel unit is stopped, is reciprocated by the drive of a drive motor which is a drive source for the reel unit, the movable member being engaged with a head drive lever to advance the head.
In such a case, the speed of advancement of the head is lower than in the case when the head is advanced by a solenoid, and therefore the timing of the abutment of the pinch roller against the capstan due to the advancement of the head is not always coincident with the timing of the release of the ratchet mechanism of the supply reel. Therefore, the tape is sometimes twined around the capstan, or it is difficult to accurately search the data recorded at the beginning of the tape.